Julian Assange Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge
WikiLeaks Founder Faces Sentencing in US
Concise News Lead:
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing espionage charges in the United States, has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of illegally obtaining and disclosing classified information. The plea agreement, which was announced on Monday, is part of a deal that will see Assange avoid extradition to the US, where he faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Assange, who has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on separate charges of sexual assault, will be sentenced in the US at a later date. The plea agreement is a significant development in the long-running case against Assange, who has become a controversial figure for his role in publishing leaked classified information.
Critics of Assange have accused him of endangering national security and putting lives at risk. Supporters, however, argue that he is a whistleblower who has exposed government wrongdoing and promoted transparency. The outcome of the case will be closely watched by both sides in the debate over freedom of speech and the limits of national security.
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